1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to low-noise, disposable and reusable optical probes which may be used to sense optical energy passed through a medium to determine the characteristics of the medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Energy is often transmitted through or reflected from a medium to determine characteristics of the medium. For example, in the medical field, instead of extracting material from a patient's body for testing, light or sound energy may be caused to be incident on the patient's body and transmitted (or reflected) energy may be measured to determine information about the material through which the energy has passed. This type of non-invasive measurement is more comfortable for the patient and can be performed more quickly.
Non-invasive physiological monitoring of bodily function is often required. For example, during surgery, blood pressure and the body's available supply of oxygen, or the blood oxygen saturation, are often monitored. Measurements such as these are often performed with non-invasive techniques where assessments are made by measuring the ratio of incident to transmitted (or reflected) light through a portion of the body, for example a digit such as a finger, or an earlobe, or a forehead.
Transmission of optical energy as it passes through the body is strongly dependent on the thickness of the material through which the light passes, or the optical path length. Many portions of a patient's body are typically soft and compressible. For example, a finger comprises skin, muscle, tissue, bone, blood, etc. Although the bone is relatively incompressible, the tissue, muscle, etc. are easily compressible with pressure applied to the finger, as often occurs when the finger moves. Thus, if optical energy is made incident on a finger and the patient moves in a manner which distorts or compresses the finger, the optical path length changes. Since a patient generally moves in an erratic fashion, the compression of the finger is erratic. This causes the change in optical path length to be erratic, making the absorption erratic, resulting in a difficult to interpret measured signal.
Many types of non-invasive monitoring devices have been developed to try to produce a clear and discernable signal as energy is transmitted through a medium, such as a finger or other part of the body. In typical optical probes a light emitting diode (LED) is placed on one side of the medium while a photodetector is placed on an opposite side of the medium. Many prior art optical probes are designed for use only when a patient is relatively motionless since, as discussed above, motion induced noise can grossly corrupt the measured signal. Typically, probes are designed to maximize contact between the LED and the medium and the photodetector and the medium to promote strong optical coupling between the LED, the medium, and the photodetector, thereby generating a strong output signal intensity. In this way, a strong, clear signal can be transmitted through the medium when the patient is generally motionless.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,304 to Jaeb, et al. discloses an optical probe for a pulse oximeter, or blood oxygen saturation monitor, comprising a housing with a flat lower face containing a central protrusion in which a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and an optical detector are mounted. When the probe is placed on the patient's tissue, the protrusion causes the LEDs and the detector to press against the tissue to provide improved optical coupling of the sensor to the skin. In another embodiment (FIGS. 4a and 4b in the Jaeb patent), the LEDs and the detector are arranged within a central chamber, generally horizontal with respect to the tissue on which the probe is placed. A set of mirrors or prisms causes light to be directed from the LEDs onto the tissue through a polymer sealant within the chamber, the sealant providing a contact with the tissue for good optical coupling with the tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,879 to Tan, et al. discloses an optical probe wherein a T-shaped wrap, having a vertical stem and a horizontal cross bar, is utilized to secure a light source and an optical sensor in optical contact with a finger. The light source is located in a window on one side of the vertical stem while the sensor is located in a window on the other side of the vertical stem. The finger is aligned with the stem and the stem is bent such that the light source and the sensor lie on opposite sides of the finger. Then, the cross bar is wrapped around the finger to secure the wrap, thereby ensuring that the light source and the sensor remain in contact with the finger to produce good optical coupling.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,240 to Jobsis, et al. discloses an optical probe wherein a light source and a light detector are incorporated into channels within a slightly deformable mounting structure which is adhered to a strap. Annular adhesive tapes are placed over the source and the detector. The light source and detector are firmly engaged with a bodily surface by the adhesive tapes and pressure induced by closing the strap around a portion of the body. An alternative embodiment provides a pressurized seal and a pumping mechanism to cause the body to be sucked into contact with the light source and detector.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,038 to Rich, et al. discloses an optical probe having an extremely thin cross section such that it is flexible. A die LED and a die photodetector are located on a flexible printed circuit board and encapsulated by an epoxy bead. A spacer, having circular apertures positioned in alignment with the LED and photodetector, is placed over the exposed circuit board. A transparent top cover is placed over the spacer and is sealed with a bottom cover placed under the circuit board, thereby sealing the probe from contaminants. A spine may be added to strengthen the device. The flexibility of the device allows it to be pinched onto the body causing the epoxy beads over the LED and the photodetector to protrude through the apertures in the spacer and press against the top cover such that good optical contact is made with the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,594 to Muz discloses an optical probe wherein a dual wall rubberized sheath is fit over a finger. A pump is located at the tip of the finger such that a pressurized chamber may be formed between the two walls, thereby causing an LED and a photodetector located in the inner wall to be in contact with the finger.
Each of the above described optical probes is designed to cause a strong measured signal at the photodetector by optimizing contact between the LED, the patient, and the probe. However, this optimization forces compressible portions of the patient's body to be in contact with surfaces which compress these portions of the patient's body when the patient moves. This can cause extreme changes in the thickness of material through which optical energy passes, i.e., changes in the optical path length and changes due to scattering as a result of venous blood movement during motion. Changes in the optical path length can produce enough distortion in the measured signal to make it difficult or impossible to determine desired information.
Furthermore, demand has increased for disposable and reusable optical probes which are suitably constructed to provide low-noise signals to be output to a signal processor in order to determine the characteristics of the medium. Many difficulties relating to motion-induced noise have been encountered in providing such an optical probe inexpensively. Furthermore, such probes tend to be difficult to use in certain applications, such as applications where a patient's finger may move or shift during measurement, or, in a more extreme case, when the optical probe is employed on small children who typically do not sit still during the measurement process.
Thus, a need exists for a low-cost, low-noise optical probe which is easy to use under adverse conditions, and for a method of manufacturing such a probe. More specifically, a need exists for a probe which reduces motion induced noise, or motion artifacts, during measurement of a signal while still generating a transmitted or reflected signal of sufficient intensity to be measured by a detector.